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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. J. TANNER.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM ORES.

Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. J. TANNER. ELEGTRIGAL APPARATUS FORSEPARATING GOLD PROM ORES.

Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. J. TANN ER. BLEQTRIGAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM 01133. No.328,532. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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(No Model.)

W. J. TANNER. ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR SBPABATING GOLD FROM ORES. No.328,532. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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W. J. TANNER. ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM DRES- IIITAH HH lh vrrnn WILLIAM J. TANNER, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX,EXGLAND.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,532, dated October20, 1885.

Application filed September 24, 1884. Serial No. 143,833.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHN TAN- NER, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, anda resident of London, county of Middlesex,England, have invented certain Improvements in Electrical Apparatus for'Washing and Separating Gold and Silver from their Ores, of which thefollowing is a specifieation.

It is well known that when amalgam plates are used for collecting goldand silver from their ores the surfaces of these plates are liable tobecome tarnished or sickened by certain substances contained in the oresor in the current of water which is employed to carry the ore over theplates, and thatin this condition they are unfitted for amalgamating theparticles of gold and silver. To prevent this and to keep the surfacesof the amalgam plates always bright and in a better condition forcatching and ainalgamating the particles of gold and silver I employelectricity in the following manner:

The ore is carried over the plates by a stream of water in the usualmanner, and I arrange, touching the water,but not touching the plates,one or more bars, plates, or points of carbon, after the manner shown inthe accompanying drawings. The bars, plates, 850., of carbon may besecured to a frame and supported at the proper height above the amalgamplate or plates and in such manner that the carbon bars, &c., may be inthe direction of the current of ore and water, or in a directiontransversely thereto. The carbon bars, 850., are electrically connectedwith the positive pole of a battery or other source of electricity, andform, therefore, the anode, while the amalgam plates are connected withthe negative pole and form the cathode. The current of electricitypasses from the carbon through the water to (No model.)

amalgam plate or plates by any suitable mechanical arrangement, such asthat hereinafter described. The carbon bars, 850. touch the water duringthe whole or a portion of their stroke, but in no case come in contactwith the plate or plates. The electrical connections are made in thesame manner as before describedviz., the carbon the anode, and theamalgam plates the cathode. To avoid still further any obstruction tothe ore and water, I sometimes employ in addition to this a simplemechanical arrangement, such as is shown in the drawings, whereby thecarbon is raised out of the ore and water during the return-stroke-thatis, when traveling in a direction opposite to that of the current of oreand water. I also sometimes cause the carbons to traverse above theamalgam plate or plates-in a line at right angles to the direction ofthe flow of ore and water, as the movement of the carbons in thisdirection causes less obstruction to the current of ore and water.

Again, in cases where I am treating an ore which has only a moderatesickening effect on the amalgam plates I move the carbon anode or barsby hand. At each end of the bar of carbon is mounted a small wheel ofebonite, glass, or other suitable non-conducting material, and thesewheels are so arranged as to prevent the carbon touching the amalgamplate or plates, but to allow of its touching the water, as beforedescribed. A handle ofconvenient length is attached to the carbon bar,and the electrical connections are the same as before described. Aflexible metallic conductor con veys the current to the carbon, and thecarbon is traversed over the plates as frequently as is found necessaryto keep them in good condition.

Instead of mounting the carbon on insulating-wheels, it may be in theform of a cylinder, having two or more rings around it made ofindia-rubber or other non-conducting material. The carbon cylinder has ametallic pin at each end, and the whole is mounted in a frame providedwith a suitable handle. The electrical connections are made as beforedescribed, the current passing through the metallic pins to the carbon.

In cases where there is much float-gold I sometimes employ a cylinder ofamalgamated copper, rolling above but not touching a surface of carbonplates over which the ore and water are passing, the cylinder being inthis case the cathode, and the carbon plates the anode, and, as beforestated, the carbon and copper do not come in contact with each other, i

.but the water conveys the current from the one to the other. Strips ofinsulating mate rial separate thecylinder of amalgamated copper from thecarbon plates over which it is caused to travel.

I now proceed to describe fullytlie construction of apparatus as shownin the drawings, and employed for carrying my invention into effect.

Similar letters indicate like or corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 1 a longitudinal section, of a portion ofan apparatus wherein the carbon rods, &0., are arranged in the directionof the current of ore and water. The carbons A are fastened to thecross-bars B, which support them at the proper height above the surfaceof the amalgam plate (1 by resting on the sides D of the table E, onwhich the amalgam plates are laid or fastened. The carbons A areconnected with the positive pole of the source of electricity by a stripor strips of metal or other conducting material, F, placed between thecarbons A and one or both of the supporting-bars B. The amalgam platesare connected, by any suitable means, with the negative pole of thesame.

source of electricity.

Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of an arrangementin which the carbon rods, 8t0., are placed in a direction across thecurrent of ore and water. A are the carbon rods, which are fastened tothe bars B, which in their turn are fastened to the bars B resting onthe sides D of the table E, so as to keep the carbons at theproper-height above the surface of the amalgam plate 0. The carbons areconnected with the positive pole of the source of electricity by meansof the strip or strips of metal or other conducting mate: rial, F,(shown in dotted lines, placed between the carbons and one or both ofthe bars B. The amalgam plate 0 is connected by any suitable means withthe negative pole of the same source of electricity.

Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig 3 a longitudinal section, showing a method ofmoving the carbon plates, bars, &c., to and fro over and above thesurface of the amalgam plate 01' plates. The carbon plates, bars, &c.,A, are fastened to the cross-bars B, resting on the sides D of the tableE, on which are laid or fastened the amalgam plates 0. The ends of thebars B are joined by the longitudinal bars B by being screwed orsimilarly fastened to them. These bars, with the cross-bars B and thecarbons A, are moved to and fro by means of the connecting-rods G andthe cranks H. The crank-shaft J is revolved by the pulley K, or anyother suitable means. The carbons are connected in any suitable mannerwith the positive pole of the source of electricity,

responding parts on the other side.

and the amalgam plates with the negative pole of the same source.

Fig. 4 shows a side view, and Fig. 4 a crosssection on the line or a: ofFig. 4,0t' a table fitted with anarrangement for raising the carbons outof the ore and water when making their return-stroke. The ends of thecrossbars B, which carry the carbons A, project over the sides D D ofthe table E and rest on the top of the longitudinal bar 13*, runningalong each side of the table and supported on but not fixed to wedgeshaped blocks L. These wedge-shaped blocks are connected with oneanother by bars M, and can be slid up and down on the inclined planes N,fixed on the sides D of the table E. As in the previouslydescribedapparatus, the bars B with the cross-bars B and the carbons A receive atoand-fro motion by means of the connectingrod G and the crank H, drivenby the pulley K, or any other suitable means. The blocks L are driven bythe shorter cranks H on the opposite side of the crank-shaft to H,thecrank H being connected with the-bar M by means of the connecting-rodG*. The arrangement of the two cranks is shown in plan, Fig. 4

The drawing Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of cranks, sliding blocks,8250., on one side of the table only, but there are like cor- When thebars B have been pushed as far from the crank-shaft as the crank H willallow, the wedge-shaped blocks L will have been slid up the inclinedplanes N N by the shorter crank H and the connecting-rod G". They willtherefore raise the side bars, B together with the crossbars B andcarbons, and on the crank H having drawn the bars B as near thecrankshaft as possible, the smaller crankwill have pushedthewedge-shaped blocks L down the inclines N, and so lowered the carbonsonto the surface of the ore-and water passing over the surfaces of theamalgam plates. The electrical connections of the carbons and amalgamplates to the respective poles of the source of electricity are made asin the previously-described arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a plan of an arrangement for causing the carbon bars, plates,&c.,'A, to traverse above the surface of the amalgam plate or plates ina direction at right angles to the direction of the current of ore andwater. The

carbons are fastened to the H-shaped frame 0, sliding on the top of thecross-bars, B, extending across the width of the table. The frame 0 iskept at rightangles to the bars B by distance-pieces O (seen in dottedlines) fastened underneath it. The frame 0, with the carbons attached toit, is caused to traverse from side to side of the table by means of thebell-crank lever P P, slotted or forked at both ends and capable ofturning on the pin 10, which works in a socket fastened to one of thebars B. A pin, Q, projects from the center bar of the sliding-frame Oand stands up in the slot q at the end of the arm B of the saidbell-crank lever. All that is now necessary is to move the arm P of thelever to and fro in the direction of the current of ore and water, whenthe end P, having the slot q, will, by means of the pin Q, cause theframe 0, with the carbons A, to traverse the current of ore and water atright angles to its direction. The required movement of 1? is effectedin the following manner: Two guides, R R, are fixed on the side of thetable, and in these guides is a sliding bar, S, having at its side apin, Q, to which one end of a connectingrod, G, is attached, the otherend of this rod being fastened to the crank H, revolved by pulley K orother suitable means. The sliding bar S has another pin, Q on its upperside, and at right angles to pin Q the pin Q stands up in the slot (f atthe end of arm P and communicates the tc-and-fro motion of the bar S tothe arm P of the lever I P The electrical connections with therespective poles of the source of electricity are made as in thepreviously-described apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 6 a section, of an apparatus to be passedover the surface of the amalgam plate or plates by hand, whenever thecondition of the plate or plates is such as to render the application ofelectricity necessary for the purpose above set forth. The carbon bar orrod A has fastened to its ends the wheels T, made of non-conductingmaterial, and of such a diameter that when they are rolled on thesurface of the amalgam plate 0 the carbon bar or rod A will be at theproper height above the plate. To the carbon is attached the socket U,made of metal or other good conducting material. Into this socket isfitted the handle V, made of nonconducting material. A metallicconductor, F, connected with the socket U, passes through the handle V,and by means of the flexible conductor F puts the carbon A in electricalconnection with the positive pole of a source of electricity. Theamalgam plate is suitably connected with the negative pole of the samesource.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan of a modification of the hand apparatus abovedescribed. In this case the carbon A is in the form of a roller, aroundwhich are placed the rings T made of india-rubber or othernon-conducting material, and by which the carbon is prevented fromcoming into contact with the amalgam plate or plates over which it isbeing traversed. Metallic pins 25 are fixed in the ends of the carbon Aand turn in the ends 23* of the metal frame W, in the center of whichframe is a socket, U, into which is fitted the handle V, made ofnon-conducting material. The electrical conductor F is fixed to thissocket and passed through the handle to the flexible conductor Fconnected with the positive pole of a source of electricity, as in thepreviously-described apparatus.

Having now described the nature of my invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an amalgam plate over which the materials pass,of one or more bars or anodes of carbon, arranged above or near and outof contact with the plate, said plate and bars being electricallyconnected and in electrical contact with the water and ore,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an amalgam plate over which the materials pass,of one or more bars or anodes of carbon, arranged and electricallyconnected, substantially as described and shown, and means forreciprocating said bars, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with an amalgam plate over which the materials pass,of a reciprocating bar or anode of carbon, arranged and electricallyconnected, substantially as described, and means whereby said bar israised out of contact with the water during such time as the anode ismoving in a direction opposite to the current of ore and water.

4. The combination, with an amalgam plate over which the materials pass,of a sliding frame carrying a series of carbon bars or anodes, a crankconnected to the frame, inclined planes or wings, wedge-shaped blockbetween the inclined planes and the frame, and connected to a crank, thearrangement being substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this5th day of August, 1884.

W. J. TANNER.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD I-l. LIVEING,

52 Queen Aime St, London, lV., ROBERT G. Scrrwauz,

Bcaconsficld Club, London.

